CD Reviews

Articles and Interviews

David Ball steers for charts with "Freewheeler"
(Dec 2004)
If you ask David Ball to give his definition of success, he's not going to blow a lot of smoke up your skirt in the process. A lot of artists might answer that question with a wheelbarrow full of soil enrichment, telling you that success lies in the self-satisfaction of a guitar well played, a song well written, a show well performed. Make no mistake, David Ball considers all of those things of supreme importance. It's just that he has a very specific and very concrete definition of success for himself.... more

Riding with David Ball
(Dec 2001)
Chances are when most people think of David Ball, they remember his big hit, "Thinkin' Problem," and then probably wonder what became of him. After a few less than stellar discs for Warner - commercially unsucessful, albeit well done honky tonk - Ball roared out of no place with a new lease on musical life thanks to the huge hit off his new "Amigo" album, "Riding With Private Malone." The 48-year-old South Carolinian himself is surprised with "Private Malone," which gained much steam in the wake of Sept. 11.... more

Honky tonker hopes to play "ball"
(Jul 1999)
David Ball's press material touts him as the honky-tonk savior. Although such praise can end up saddling a person with a "Life of Brian" complex, Ball brushes off such hyperbole with sincere modesty. "That's what we call press hype," says Ball on the phone from his home in Nashville. "It's just b.s. and eye-catching stuff." "I guess I am kind of a honky-tonk singer," continues Ball sheepishly. Of course, such a statement just shouts understatement, since Ball is, indeed, a great... more

Ball encounters no problems on soph CD
(Mar 1997)
The second time around has proven good for David Ball in more ways than one. Not only has he found a home on his second record label after an ill-fated stint elsewhere in the late '80's, but the man behind "Thinkin' Problem" just released his second album, "Starlite Lounge," and appears right on track to avoid the sophomore slump. The music is rooted in the '50's and '60's honky tonk and spare sounding country, but sounds alive for the '90's. ... more